JPS63127265A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturise a device and to simplify the mechanism by engaging a gear, which is supported by a lever, with a rack provided on a developing device by a switching means and rotating this gear with a gear stuck to the output shaft of a motor to carry the developing device into a storage chamber. CONSTITUTION:For example, a developing device 2A in a developing device storage device B is stopped in the position of a developing device entrance, and a solenoid 21 is driven to turn a lever 17 around an output shaft 16 of a DC motor 16 and gears 20 are engaged with racks 19 provided on both side faces of the developing device 2A. Next, when the DC motor 16 is driven to rotate a first gears 18 in the direction of arrows, a second gears engaged with gears 18 are rotated in directions of arrows and the developing device 2A advances toward a photosensitive drum 1 along guides 8 together with racks 19 and is transported onto guides 7 and 7 provided on a device body A.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine that includes a developing device storage device that stores a plurality of developing devices.

(Technical background) There is a request for colorization for the image forming apparatus of the copying machine 2i# using the electrostatic transfer process, that is, in addition to the most commonly used black, there is a demand for chromatic colors such as red and blue. There is a growing demand for image formation.

Therefore, an apparatus has been proposed in which a developing device having a developer of a desired color is selected and transported to an image forming position within the main body of the apparatus for development. Further, as shown in the longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 and the cross-sectional view along the line V--V of FIG.

A developing device storage device B that stores the developing devices 102B and 102c is provided outside the main body A of the device, and the developing device 102 is stored in the developing device storage device B.
A, 102B, and 102c are moved up and down (in the direction of arrow y-y' in the figure) to select the desired developing device 102A, and then move the developing device 102A to the photosensitive drum l in the main body A of the apparatus.
A device has also been proposed that automatically transports the image in the direction of the arrow X shown in the figure to an image forming position near the ot.

However, in the latter apparatus, the transport path for transporting the selected desired developer to the image forming position l is long, so the transport means M+ 1M+ is required.

It is necessary to provide eight M 2 and M t on the apparatus main body and on the side of the developing device storage device 1yiB, respectively. Each transport stage M, , Mt is connected to each developing device (for example, developing device 1
02A) racks 119 and 119 carved on both sides, and gears 112 and 11 that mesh with the racks 119 and 119.
2, 114, 114 and these gears 112, 112, 1
Motor 113, 113, 1 that rotationally drives 14, 114
It was composed of 15°115.

<-Problems that S Ming attempts to solve) However, in the above image forming apparatus, the developing device 1
When driving 02A, 102B, and 102c up and down, the gear 11 constituting each transport stage M2 on the developing device storage device B side.
4 and the DC motor 115 as shown by the chain lines in FIG. 5 to avoid interference with the developing units 102A, 102B, and 102c. The problem is that the mechanism becomes complicated, leading to an increase in the size of the developing device storage device and, by extension, the entire copying device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the size of the developing device storage device by retracting the conveying means provided on the developer storage device side using a simple mechanism. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can be simplified.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a developing device storage device that stores a plurality of developing devices! First and second conveyance means, which are mounted outside the main body of the apparatus and which select a desired developing device from the developing device storage device and transport it to an image forming position within the main body of the apparatus, are installed inside the main body of the apparatus, and are arranged in the developing device storage device. a lever that rotates the second conveyance means of the image forming apparatus each provided therein about a rotation center of a motor fixed to the developer storage device;
A first gear connected to the output shaft of the motor, rotatably supported by the lever, constantly meshing with the first gear, and selectively attached to a rack carved on the side surface of the developing unit. The lever includes a second gear that meshes with the lever, and a switching means for the lever.

(effect) Then, the lever is rotated by the switching means.

If the motor is driven while the second gear supported by the lever is engaged with the rack carved on the side surface of the developing device, the rotation of this motor is caused by the rotation of the first gear connected to the output shaft of the second gear. The rotation of the second gear is transmitted to the second gear, and as the second gear rotates, a developing device including a rack that meshes with the second gear is conveyed toward the image forming position. Then, when the lever is rotated in the opposite direction by the switching means to release the engagement between the second gear and the rack of the developing unit, the second gear moves to the retracted position.
It is possible to drive the developing device storage device tt and select a desired developing device from among them.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below based on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the main parts of the copying device 2, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. is constructed by attaching a developing device storage device ff1B to the main body A.

The main body A of the apparatus is provided with a photosensitive drum 1, which is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and electrostatic latent images corresponding to the original image are successively formed on its surface. Color toner (for example, green toner) is placed around the photosensitive drum l.
A color developing device 2A containing black toner and a black developing device 3 containing black toner are disposed, and these developing devices 2A and 3 are movable in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, and these develop the desired color. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive tram 1 is developed in the vicinity of the photosensitive tram 1 according to the image. In FIG. 1, since the green developing device 2A is far away and the black developing device 3 is close, a black image is formed on the photosensitive trams i and h.

On the other hand, in the developing device storage device B, there are provided a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) developing device storage boxes 4a, 4b, and 4c which are driven up and down by a drive means (not shown). A pre-recording developer 2A containing green toner, a red developing device 2B containing red toner, and a blue developing device 2C containing blue toner are housed in the boxes 4a, 4b, and 4c, respectively.

In FIG. 1, the green developing device 2A is not located in the developing device storage box 4a of the developing device storage device B, but is used for visualization of the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive tram l as described above. is in a state,
The green developing device 2A is transported by a transport means to an image forming position near the photosensitive tram l in the main body A and a developing device housing g!, as shown by the arrow a in FIG. It is transferred between the developing device storage box 4a in the IB.

Here, to explain the above-mentioned transfer means, the device main body A
The side where the developing device storage device B is installed has the first I
As shown in 26, the developing device loading port 5 is open, and the photosensitive tram l is located inside the apparatus main body A at the back from the developing device loading port 5.
The feed passage 6 leading to the water pipe is formed in a water channel. In this feeding path 6, as shown in FIG. 2, guides 7 and 7 leading to the photosensitive tram 1 are formed parallel to each other at a predetermined interval, and guides 7 and 7 are formed parallel to each other at a predetermined interval. Box 4a.

A guide continuous to the guide 7.7 is formed on each bottom wall of 4b and 4c. Further, in the feeding path 6 of the main body A of the apparatus, developing device attachment/detachment guides 9a and 9b, which are orthogonal to the guides 7 and 7, are formed in parallel to each other.

As shown in FIG. 2, a guide member 10a is provided on the bottom of each of the developing units 2A, 2B, and 2C to engage with the guide 7.8 and the developing unit front guide 9a.

10a, guide members iob and iob to be engaged with the guide 7.8 and the developing device attachment/detachment guide 9b are provided in a protruding manner.

Further, in each of the developer storage boxes 4a, 4b, and 4c on the apparatus main body A side and the developer storage device B side, a pair of left and right first conveyance means M+ are provided.
, M+, and second conveying means M 2 , M 2 , respectively. The first conveyance means Ml includes a gear 12 that meshes with one of racks 11 and 11 carved on both sides of the upper surface of each developing device 2A, 2B, and 2G along the conveyance direction thereof; Rotationally driven DC motor 13
It consists of: Further, each second conveying means M2 includes a DC motor 16 fixed to the developing device storage device B, a lever 17 that rotates around an output shaft 16a of the DC motor 16, and a lever 17 that is connected to the end of the output shaft 16a. a first gear 18,
It is horizontally rotatably supported at one end of the lever 17, and is always in 1-alignment with the first gear 18.
A second gear 20 that selectively meshes with a rack 19 carved on the side surface of A, a solenoid 21 connected to the other end of the lever 17, and a solenoid 21 that keeps the lever 17 on the retracted side of the second gear 20. and a biasing spring. Incidentally, the solenoid 21 and the spring 22 constitute a switching means for the lever 17.

When the solenoid 21.21 is inactive, the lever 17.17 is held at the solid line position in FIG. 2 by the spring 22.22, and the second gear supported by the lever 17.17 is 20.degree. 20 is similarly retracted to the solid line position, allowing vertical movement of the developing device storage boxes 4a, 4b, and 4c. Therefore, when selecting, for example, the green developing device 2A from the developing device storage device B and performing development using the green developing device 2A, the developing device storage box 4a in the developing device storage device B is driven by a driving means (not shown). , 4b, 4c are integrally driven up and down,
When the green developing device 2A at location 9 is located at the developing device entrance 5 that opens into the apparatus main body A, the developing device storage boxes 4a, 4b, 4
When the vertical drive of the green developing device 2A is stopped, the green developing device 2A stops at the developing device entrance 5, as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the solenoid 21.21 is driven to rotate the lever 17 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 about the output shafts 16a, 16a of the DC motor 16.16. The gears 20 and 20 of No. 2 are engaged with racks 19 and 19 carved on both sides of the green developing device 2A. Next, if the DC motors 16, 16 are driven to rotate the first gear 18.18 in the direction of the arrow in FIG.
The rack 19 rotates in the direction of the arrow shown, and the rack 19 meshes with the second gears 20.20.
．． The green developing device 2A having a guide member 19 advances in the direction of the photosensitive tram 1 along a guide 8.8, and eventually a guide member 10a protrudes from the lower surface of the green developing device 2A.

10a, 10b, 10b are guides 7.7 on the device main body A side
, and the rack 11.11 of the edge developing device 2A begins to engage with the gears 12.12 of the first conveyance means Ml and M+ provided on the apparatus main body A side. And green developer 2A
When the developing device is discharged from the developing device storage box 4a of the developing device storage device B and the gear 14.14 of the rack 11.11 disposed thereon is released, the DC motor 13. 13 is driven, and gears 12 and 12 are driven to rotate in the directions of the arrows in FIG. When this is detected by the sensor, the DC motor 13 rotates the gear 12° 12.
, 13 are driven or stopped. After that, the green developing device 2A
is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by a suppressing means (not shown), and visualizes the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive tram 1 rotating in the direction of the arrow shown.

The green developing device 2A that has been subjected to development is then transferred to the developing device storage device B side in the reverse order to the above, and either stored in the developing device storage box 4a or subsequently developed with another developing device. In such a case, if the solenoid 21.21 is deactivated, the lever 17.
17 is returned to the solid line position in FIG. 2 by the spring 22.22, the second gear 20.20 is retracted, and the developing unit storage boxes 4a, 4b, 4c can be moved up and down to achieve the desired development. All you have to do is choose the vessel.

As described above, according to the present invention, the second conveyance means M2,
There is no need to provide M 2 for each developing device storage box 4a, 4b, 4c, and the second conveying means M2, M2 can be easily retracted, and the second gear 20°20 can be moved only by a slight displacement. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the developing device storage device B itself and simplify the mechanism, which in turn leads to the miniaturization and structure of the copying machine equipped with the developing device storage device B. It is possible to simplify the process.

Further, for example, if there is a shortage of toner in the green developing device 2A, the green developing device 2A can be used as it is without retracting the gear 12 etc. and the developing device attachment/detachment guide 9a.

If you pull it out toward you (downward in Figure 2) along 9b,
This can be taken out from the main body A of the apparatus, and a mechanism for retracting the gear 12, etc., which was conventionally required, is no longer necessary, and the mechanism of the main body A of the apparatus can be simplified.

In the above embodiment, the center of rotation of the lever 17 is set to D.
Is it the output shaft 16a of the C motor 16?

The pivot center of the lever 17 can also be provided elsewhere. Although the present invention has been specifically applied to a copying apparatus, the present invention can also be applied to other image forming apparatuses such as laser printers and printing apparatuses.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, a developing device storage device for storing a plurality of developing devices is provided outside the apparatus main body, and a desired developing device is selected from the developing device storage device. The first step transports this to the image forming position within the main body of the apparatus. The second conveyance means of the image forming apparatus is configured such that the second conveyance means is provided within the apparatus main body and within the developer storage device, respectively, and the second conveyance means is rotated about a rotation center by a motor fixed to the developer storage device. a first gear connected to the output shaft of the motor; a first gear rotatably supported by the lever and always meshing with the first gear; Since the structure includes a second gear that selectively meshes with the rack and a switching means for the lever, the conveyance stage provided on the developing device storage device side can be retracted by a simple mechanism, and the developing device can be easily retracted. This provides the advantage of being able to downsize the container storage device and simplify its mechanism.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main parts of a copying apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line m--m in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the main parts of a conventional copying device.
The figure is a sectional view taken along the line V-V in FIG. 4. A...Device main body, B...Developer storage device, Ml...
・First conveyance means, M2...21st & I conveyance means, 2A,
2B. 2C...Developer, 16...-DC motor, 17...
Lever, 18...First gear, 19...Rack, 2
0...Second gear, 21...Solenoid, 22...
·spring.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A developing device housing device that stores a plurality of developing devices is provided outside the device main body, and a first device that selects a desired developing device from the developing device storage device and transports it to an image forming position within the device main body.
, an image forming apparatus in which a second conveying means is provided within the apparatus main body and a developing device storage device, respectively, wherein the second conveying device is connected to a motor fixed to the developing device storage device and a rotation center thereof. a first gear connected to the output shaft of the motor, a lever that is rotatably supported by the lever, always meshes with the first gear, and is engraved on the side surface of the developing device. An image forming apparatus comprising: a second gear that selectively meshes with a provided rack; and a switching means for the lever. (2) The switching means includes a spring that biases the lever in one direction, and a solenoid that drives the lever in a direction opposite to the biasing direction of the spring. The image forming apparatus according to item 1.